In the world of high school theater, the effort behind the scenes is just as important as the performances on the stage. The technical theatre crew, the unseen heroes who manage everything from lighting and sound to set design and stage management, are all important to creating a successful show.
However, this school year, a new fee for students involved with the school tech crew has sparked frustration and concern among many. Students are left questioning why they suddenly have to pay to participate in an extracurricular that was once seen as volunteer work, especially when they play a crucial role in the making of theatre performances.
For years, the tech crew has allowed students to gain hands-on experience in stage production without any financial barriers. But this year, students were informed that they would have to pay a fee of about $40 per show. “I think it was a shock,” said Bridget Ferguson, junior and tech crew board member. “I’ve known people to question whether they should sign up for a show because of the fee.” Unfortunately, the sudden change has left many feeling undervalued and frustrated, even driving away many from signing up to do tech crew again.
Adding to their frustration, students say they have not received a clear explanation of where their money is going. “The fees go into the general fund that all fees collected by other sports and activities go to like buses, hotel accommodations, truck rentals, etc,” PAC Technical Director Ronald Bowden said. “For us, this money goes to fund our department and the shows that we produce.” However, when the actors or tech crew asks where exactly their money is going to, they get brushed off.
As the school year progresses, it is hard to ignore the growing unfairness of the situation among students. Especially for junior Jersey Caserno who has been on tech crew since freshman year. “We’re taking a bunch of our time and mind you, tech weeks are usually around 40 hours in total,” Caserno said.
During those 40 hours, kids are coming in to willingly volunteer in the theatre and essentially doing someone else’s job. Especially when they have to teach new staff how to work the technology, students could be doing homework or going to do a job that pays them.
The students’ complaints signal a call for a more transparent and honest approach, a call that, if ignored could completely ruin the tech crew as a whole.
